


I'm Shattered Porcelain, Glued Back Together Again

by AvatarKitten



Series: Ruthari Week [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:33:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25113961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarKitten/pseuds/AvatarKitten
Summary: Runaan suffers from the lasting effects of the trauma he experienced.
Relationships: Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Ruthari Week [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818973
Comments: 2
Kudos: 53





	I'm Shattered Porcelain, Glued Back Together Again

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 of Ruthari week!! Prompt: Dreams
> 
> I've been in a bit of a writing slump recently so apologies if this isn't as good as normal.
> 
> also shoutout to my friend Julia (Asami_Sato on here and @thewlwswin on Twitter) for helping me with parts of this!

Silvergrove was always quiet at night, peaceful for the moonshadow elves living within its borders. It wasn't peaceful, however, for one home. Runaan, the former assassin leader, tossed and turned in his bed, nightmares plaguing his mind. It had been a few months since he had returned home from his last mission; the one where he had the task to kill the king of Katolis. A mission like this normally would have been a breeze for Runaan, he had been on similar ones before. He had grown numb to the bloodshed around him; it no longer affected him. This mission, however, did. He had been captured and imprisoned, only to soon after be locked away in a coin, alone with his thoughts. 

He had been freed not too long after, but the time he spent in the coin had a great affect on him, not even mentioning the physical ailments he dealt with, such as a missing arm and horn. Through it all though, the one thing that helped him through it all was his husband, Ethari. He had been there from the moment Runaan was freed to catch him, to hold him, to support him. It was all Runaan needed as he healed, as he became himself again. However, even Ethari couldn't fix everything, no matter how much he tried. Memories of the pain and horror Runaan faced still haunted him, not as often as when he first returned, but still too often.

He tossed and turned in his sleep, tonight being one of those nights, where his thoughts only drifted towards those awful memories. The throbbing pain he felt in his arm and horn, the sadistic face of the human mage who imprisoned him, the icy chill that went through him at the sight of the mirror...

He woke with a start, shooting upright instantly. He was panting, sweating, looking around the bedroom frantically, trying to calm himself down. Nothing seemed to be working though, he thought.

"Runaan?"

He turned to the sound of that voice, to see his husband had awoken and was now blinking sleepily at him, yet concern was still evident on his face.

"I'm alright love, go back to sleep," Runaan replied, though the shakiness in his voice did little to convince Ethari that was true. He turned away, but soon felt a warm, strong hand on his shoulder. A hand he had come to love over the years, strong from years of crafting, with little scars and callouses that made it so unique in his eyes.

"Runaan you're shaking. What's wrong?" Ethari asked, the sound of rustling sheets signalling that he was moving closer to the scared assassin. Runaan was silent for a moment. He _hated_ making Ethari worry, but he hated feeling scared and helpless like this too. He was supposed to be brave, strong; that's what assassin training was for. But he had been broken on that mission, only now did he have the chance to glue himself back together again. But that didn't always work.

Which is why he turned to Ethari, not saying a word, and fell into his arms. Quiet sobs shook his body as tears flowed onto the craftsman's shoulder. He soon felt gentle circles being rubbed onto his back, and a gentle hand running through his long, soft, snow-tinted hair.

"I've got you," whispered Ethari, leaving a small kiss on Runaan's forehead as he tightened his hold on the other moon elf. They say in silence for a while, Ethari comforting Runaan as he let it all out. 

Runaan calmed after a while, his sobs turning into quiet sniffles. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ethari asked. Runaan moved to be face to face with his husband and shook his head. 

"Perhaps in the morning, right now I'd like to try and get some rest," he replied. Ethari moved a hand up towards his cheek, wiping away some of the lingering tears with his thumb. He smiled softly at the assassin, allowing him to say "we'll get through this" without words. He laid back down in the plush sheets, holding out his arms to signal Runaan to join him. 

The assassin obliged, settling back down with his head on Ethari's strong chest, the gentle rise and fall of his chest and steady thumping of his heartbeat being incredibly soothing. One of Ethari's hands returned to Runaan's hair, gently stroking it, the motion having an instant effect on Runaan. He had always had an affinity for hair touches, something Ethari had quickly learned as their relationship grew. Runaan soon fell back asleep, his mind now being filled with sweet dreams, finally rid of his pain for the night.


End file.
